Caffeine Addiction: Students vs. Staff

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Every morning, floods of students and teachers arrive at Panther Creek, and most of them are accompanied by a cup of coffee.

Caffeine is a stimulant that speeds up the central nervous system, causing the consumer to become more alert. These effects make it perfect for teenagers, waking up early for school. Caffeine most commonly found in coffee and soda, however according to Sleep.org, caffeine can also be found in a wide variety of food and medications, such as chocolate, breakfast cereal, and PMS medication.

People react differently to caffeine depending on lots of factors, one of which is age. Verywell Health reports, that, “during adolescence, when the brain has the most neural connections, caffeine may make the network less efficient.” Consuming caffeine can lead to a reliance on it, which can be the cause of many health risks. Healthline stated that having too much caffeine may, in some cases, lead to anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, or muscle breakdown.

At Panther Creek, students and teachers are often seen drinking coffee throughout the school day. PCNN asked Mr. Burham why he thinks his peers rely on caffeine, he said it was because, “it’s fun and it feels good, getting caffeine high feels great.” Student Julia Miller said, “you get started on drinking it, [and] a lot of times, it gets hard to stop [once] you get use to it.” When it comes who needs more caffeine between teachers and students, Alexa Falkanger said, “definitely students.. I would see kids walking around with three bottles of Starbucks coffee every single morning, because they need it,” while others said they thought it was a tie.